Egyptian woman, cameraman held over steamy video

Cairo: An Egyptian woman and a cameraman are to stand trial immediately on charges of inciting debauchery and committing public indecency after appearing in a steamy music video that went viral.

The two have been arrested and are due to be tried at the Misdemeanour Court on Thursday for participating in the video titled Seeb Eedi Arabic for “Let my Hand Go”, legal sources said.

In the video, the woman appears scantily dressed as she dances to a song, causing outrage in the conservative society.

The video woman and the cameraman were arrested on Monday at a coffee shop in the plush Cairo quarter of Al Mohandessin and were remanded in custody pending the trial, the sources added.

Egyptian prosecutors also ordered the arrest of a man, who appeared in the controversial video and raised the same charges against him.

Police said the third defendant, an Egyptian man holding US citizenship, fled to Tunisia after the video triggered uproar and was condemned on social media as scandalous and having sexual innuendo.

The defendants could face three years in prison if convicted.